Ten Frank Zappa must haves

I am a Frank zappa virgin. Never heard a track.

So I second this post.

Cheers.

Stu, thanks.

Got it.


"Overnite-sensation", righto?

Thorsten - where did you find the 24/96 Sheik?

I spent a lot of my university life lying on a floor in a haze listening to Frank. Odd thing is, after various clearouts, I don't have any of his stuff any more. Must rectify.

Frank has done many great things - here are my favourite 10

1. We're only in for the money (stunning record)
2. Absolutely Free (almost as good and Brown Shoes don't make it)
3. Overnite Sensation (I might be moving to Montana soon)
4. Hot Rats (Standin' onna porch of the Lido Hotel)
6. Uncle Meat (helps me stealing hub caps)
7. Freak Out (there's no way to delay that trouble comin' every day)
8. The Grand Wazoo (who is that dude in the back seat of Calvin's car)
9. Apostophe (who you jiving with that cosmic debris)
0. You Are What You Is

Why not have a listen to Zappa Radio.

It would be much easier to name 10 great Beefheart titles as he didn't make as many records as the Frankmaister - Frank just proved that the present day composer refuses to die - FZ lives for ever.

quote:

I would just get his first Ten ALBUMS.

followed by the next twenty

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
Frank has done many great things - here are my favourite 10

1. We're only in for the money (stunning record)
2. Absolutely Free (almost as good and Brown Shoes don't make it)
3. Overnite Sensation (I might be moving to Montana soon)
4. Hot Rats (Standin' onna porch of the Lido Hotel)
6. Uncle Meat (helps me stealing hub caps)
7. Freak Out (there's no way to delay that trouble comin' every day)
8. The Grand Wazoo (who is that dude in the back seat of Calvin's car)
9. Apostophe (who you jiving with that cosmic debris)
0. You Are What You Is

Why not have a listen to Zappa Radio.

It would be much easier to name 10 great Beefheart titles as he didn't make as many records as the Frankmaister - Frank just proved that the present day composer refuses to die - FZ lives for ever.

Awesome, thanx...

Two days ago, I drove home from work and I laughed my ass off listening to Apostophe...that cosmic debris...wonderful music!!!!

I'm sorry I don't see the attraction.
I did manage to get through the whole of Hot Rats for the first time recently, so maybe I'm mellowing, or maybe not.

1. Lather (Had it been released as a 4 album set in the 1970s as FZ intended, it would have become one of rock music's finest hours)

2. Lumpy Money (Recent ZFT 3CD set based around 'We're Only In It For The Money' and 'Lumpy Gravy' albums and sessions)

3. The MOFO Project (Fairly recent ZFT release based around 'Freak Out' album and sessions. I managed to get a copy of the 4CD release on eBay for a good price. I was pleasantly surprised by the additional material)

4. Hot Rats

5. The Grand Wazoo

6. Roxy & Elsewhere

7. Apostrophe

8. Overnite Sensation

9. Zappa In New York (Hunt out the original UK vinyl release with 'Punky's Whips')

10. Broadway The Hard Way / The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life / Make A Jazz Noise Here (These albums are a record of Zappa's last tour in 1987. Despite rumours of a synclavier based show, he played the back catalogue with a great band. Pick any one you want!)


I would have included 'Sheik Yerbouti' were it not for the overdubs. I saw two of the 1978 shows at Hammersmith Odeon and they were much better than the sanitised and cleaned up material that appears on the SY album. Try to find a torrent for the Berlin concert by this band. It is a soundboard recording, maybe liberated for the people by Tommy Mars.

Perhaps I should have included 'Joe's Garage' ... 'Uncle Meat' ... 'Waka Jawaka' etc.

It's so hard to pick to pick ten. It would have been easier to select Zappa's poor albums. There were not many of those but I'll start with 'Jazz From Hell' and 'Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch'

One Size Fits All
Thing Fish


I need to think about the other 8. This is going to be tough.

LSO Vol 1 and 2 (counts as one)
Uncle Meat (classic 1st mothers)
Waka Jawaka (best instrumental)
The Perfect Stranger (come on... Boulez conducting)
Roxy and Elsewhere (his best band)
Zappa In New York (Barking Pumpkin vinyl release, perfect)
YCDTOSA - all 6 (counts as 1)
You Are What You Is (simply fun)

Those round out my top ten, today, in no particular order.

Favorite compositions?

Quick top 3:
Ship Arriving Too Late....
Black Page #2
Sinister Footwear

quote:

Originally posted by munch:
I would just get his first Ten ALBUMS.
Then the next ten and then the next ten and then the next ten.
Great Stuff.

No Shit, I am not fucking around. The above is the BEST ADVICE EVER GIVEN ON THIS FORUM. PERIOD.

quote:

Originally posted by Doctor Jazz:
1. Lather (Had it been released as a 4 album set in the 1970s as FZ intended, it would have become one of rock music's finest hours)
material)

It wasnt actually intended to be one gigantic release. He was in a pissing match with Warner Bros over just about everything. His solution was to fulfill his contract at the eleventh hour with ALL of the material he owed, requesting it be released as a box set.

He was looking for a way out, a reason to sue, and to generally get his way.... as he should. And eventually he did as Warner released them after he shopped them around.

You know Im going to go ahead and recommend the other 60 available albums......

So.... i should go ahead and throw into my top x list:
- Either "Guitar" or " Shut up and play yer guitar"
- Bongo Fury (with beefheart. gorgeous album)
- Sleep Dirt
- Studio Tan
- Joe's Garage

These and my above would constitute a proper beginning of a library with most faces of Zappa represented.

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:
I'm sorry I don't see the attraction.
I did manage to get through the whole of Hot Rats for the first time recently, so maybe I'm mellowing, or maybe not.

It is an acquired taste for sure. For me it came so forcefully I bought about everything on both CD and vinyl within a year of "discovering" him.

FOPP in Shaftsbury Avenue have a whole rack of Zappa CD's at 4 pounds each, might be worth checking out for all you Zappa fans.

It may not be the best of his works musically but the "Mothers Live at The Fillmore East 1971" is a favourite of mine - especially the Mudshark section.

A marvellous little arpeggio.

Oh yes Ron!

The Mudshark performance is legendary and certainly among the best individual compositions. As far as the Flo and Eddy albums go, it is right up there with Chunga's Revenge.

Zoot allures
and
Bongo Fury

1 Uncle Meat
2 Freak Out
3 Absolutely Free
4 Ruben and the jets

Period

quote:

It wasnt actually intended to be one gigantic release. He was in a pissing match with Warner Bros over just about everything. His solution was to fulfill his contract at the eleventh hour with ALL of the material he owed, requesting it be released as a box set.

He was looking for a way out, a reason to sue, and to generally get his way.... as he should. And eventually he did as Warner released them after he shopped them around.

My understanding of the whole Warner Brothers episode is that FZ offered them 'Lather' as a four disc set. It was rejected on the grounds that it lacked commercial potential. Zappa then agreed with Mercury Records to release it as a four disc set and Warner Brothers stopped that release as they believed they owned the rights to the material. Warner Brothers had already paid FZ an advance for four albums. They just didn't figure that all four albums would be delivered in one go as a multi-disc set! Test pressing of the Mercury Records box set exist. Warner Brothers went ahead and released the material as four separate discs ('Live In New York', 'Studio Tan', 'Orchestral Favorites' and 'Sleep Dirt'). FZ had no input into the artwork or compilation of each album. It is said that Warner Brothers did not have the Dolby calibration tones to master these albums correctly and so their sound quality was compromised. They actually sound pretty good to me! Warner Brothers also scheduled an album called 'Martian Love Secrets'. I have a copy of the dealers' release schedule that lists this album although WB were way ahead of their game here. FZ later remarked in an interview that 'Martian Love Secrets' was the working title for 'Sheik Yerbouti'

Back in 1977 we managed to acquire two cassette tapes containing a recording of the Mercury test pressing of 'Lather'. It was given to us by a friend who worked for 'Sounds' and he had got it from the lead vocalist of a well known punk band who shall go nameless. I still remember that evening of listening as four of us first heard 'Lather'. None of the material was familiar to us. I can remember that we were all stunned by FZ's new album. Whether it is FZ's best is open to discussion and debate but it will always have a very special place in my collection.

Just one piece of advice for anyone wanting to hear FZ ... Most of the CD releases sound dreadful. Try to get hold of USA vinyl pressings if possible. If you don't believe me just try a CD/Vinyl comparison with 'Joe's Garage' and 'Tinseltown Rebellion'

quote:

Originally posted by Doctor Jazz:


Just one piece of advice for anyone wanting to hear FZ ... Most of the CD releases sound dreadful. Try to get hold of USA vinyl pressings if possible. If you don't believe me just try a CD/Vinyl comparison with 'Joe's Garage' and 'Tinseltown Rebellion'

RE: Lather... there is no definitive story but what Zappa wrote about I consider the truth or at least his recollection of it.

I disagree re: CD sounding dreadful. The vinyl releases though are no less important. There are often quite different. One extreme is the presence of vocals on the CD but fully instrumental on the LP (Sleep Dirt).

You should really have both if avail.

Munch... so true...

I know this is slightly off on a tangent, but..... anyone know where you can lay your hands on a Frog Hollow Day Camp T Shirt, XL..........

Steve2

quote:

Originally posted by Steve2:
I know this is slightly off on a tangent, but..... anyone know where you can lay your hands on a Frog Hollow Day Camp T Shirt, XL..........

Steve2

Try asking this question at Zappateers Steve:

http://www.zappateers.com/bb/index.php

They have the answer to most things Zappa. It's worth having an account there as there are some other tasty little gems to be had!